Kathan wrote an article about the convention for the Religion Teachers Journal, in which he said that civil religion acquired a set of beliefs, rituals, symbols, saints, scriptures, and holy days. The volume covers the national patriotic holidays, including Flag Day and Constitution Day, and includes a section on Lincoln’s Birthday, which never became a national holiday. The paperback is available from Wipf&Stock online. Kathan was the REA General Secretary from 1970 to 1982 and the association’s archivist from 1986 to 2011. He has been a member of the REA for 60 years, since the 1957 Chicago convention.